Retailgentic: Agentic Commerce meets Retail and Brands

In this episode of Retailgentic, Scot sits down with Luca to unpack a research paper that blends academic rigor with real-world implications:“LLMs Reproduce Human Purchase Intent via Semantic Similarity licitation of Likert Ratings.”The paper, co-authored with Colgate-Palmolive researchers, explores whether AI can accurately simulate human reactions to product concepts, enough to replace or accelerate traditional consumer panels, which are slow, expensive, and hard to scale.This one goes deep, but in ways that any retail or AI leader should care about. Scot and Luca discuss:Colgate’s Challenge: How to test product concepts faster and at scale.Synthetic Consumers: AI models that react to products like human panels.Accuracy Breakthrough: Reaching ~73–74% agreement with real consumers.Fixing LLM Failure Modes: Why naive prompts don’t work, and what does.Bayesian Reasoning: Adding uncertainty so AI stops being confidently wrong.Smarter A/B Testing: Using AI to pre-screen ideas before running live experiments.Digital Clones: Future consumers earning money by sharing preference data safely.Simulated Populations: Matching real audiences for testing and predictions.AI isn’t just helping brands write copy or generate images, it’s beginning to think like their customers. If synthetic consumers continue to evolve at this pace, product development, A/B testing, and personalization may look completely different in just a few years.Timestamps: 03:00 — Luca’s background: Rocket Internet, HelloFresh, Lazada, Stitch Fix08:00 — How PyMC Labs was founded & why Bayesian modeling matters16:00 — Bayesian thinking explained in simple terms19:00 — High-stakes decisions & why probabilistic reasoning matters24:00 — Colgate’s challenge: testing product concepts at scale26:00 — How synthetic consumer panels work30:00 — Accuracy results: humans vs. AI (~73–74%)32:00 — Why naive LLM prompting fails (“mode collapse”)35:00 — How reasoning → scoring solves accuracy issues38:00 — Example: synthetic consumers evaluating PyMC’s own website redesign44:00 — How AI can pre-screen ideas for smarter A/B testing48:00 — Where AI cannot replace causal testing49:00 — Digital clones & monetizable consumer preferences52:00 — Future benchmarks, new LLMs & evaluation methods👉 Connect with Luca: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lfiaschi/👉 Learn more about PyMC Labs: https://www.pymc-labs.com👉 Check out the paper: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2510.08338🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along:📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai 📺 Watch episodes on YouTube & Subscribe for updates 🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple, etc: https://retailgentic.transistor.fm#Retailgentic #AgenticCommerce #SyntheticConsumers #AIShopping #ProductTesting #CPGInnovation #GenerativeAI #BayesianModeling #Ecommerce #FutureOfRetail #DataScience #LLMs #AIResearch

In this episode of Retailgentic, host Scot sits down with Mike Edmonds, PayPal’s VP of Agentic Commerce & Commercial Growth, to unpack the massive pivot PayPal has made into the Agentic Commerce era, and what it means for retailers, brands, platforms, and developers.Mike goes deep on:PayPal’s Agentic Bet: Why PayPal is going all-in on Agentic CommerceMerchant Anxiety, Explained: The real reason so many merchants are anxious about LLMsInstant Checkout 2.0: Where PayPal sees Instant Checkout heading nextWallets as Identity: Why wallet identity will matter more than ever2030 Predictions: Mike’s bold predictions for shopping agents in 2030Two-Track Future: A world split between autonomous commerce and luxury human-led experiencesProtocol Chaos Simplified: How PayPal plans to tame and unify an explosion of competing protocolsMerchant of Record Relief: The surprising emotional fear merchants have about disintermediationAs AI agents reshape discovery, checkout, and trust, PayPal is building the rails for the future of digital commerce.Key Timestamps:02:15 — Mike introduces his background.04:45 — How Mike’s career path led directly into PayPal’s Agentic Commerce leadership role.06:20 — What “VP of Agentic Commerce & Commercial Growth” really means at PayPal.07:48 — The biggest lessons Mike learned leading AI strategy at Microsoft.10:35 — What merchants are actually thinking about Agentic Commerce (the real pulse).12:18 — Mike explains the off-surface vs on-surface Agentic Commerce model.13:10 — Why merchants feel overwhelmed by LLMs, APIs, and protocol sprawl.14:47 — PayPal’s role as the one-to-many connector across LLMs and platforms.16:06 — What technical pieces merchants need in place to integrate Agentic checkout.17:45 — How on-surface conversational agents can finally boost conversion rates.19:30 — Why conversational checkout is the missing piece in Agentic shopping.20:55 — What the Perplexity partnership enables for checkout, payments, and reach.23:30 — How PayPal is powering ChatGPT Instant Checkout and expanding ACP.26:12 — Why Agentic protocols are diverging, and how PayPal navigates the chaos.28:30 — The emotional fear merchants have of LLMs.30:05 — Mike’s 2030 prediction31:40 — Why some categories will automate, while luxury experiences stay human.33:10 — Multimodal will reshape shopping through voice, gestures, and identity.35:00 — The top concerns merchants raise in every PayPal Agentic conversation.37:05 — Where to find Mike and what PayPal has coming next.Announcements & press releases related to the conversations:Perplexity: https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2025-05-14-Perplexity-Selects-PayPal-to-Power-Agentic-CommerceGoogle (commerce agent for merchants: https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/financial-services/introducing-an-agentic-commerce-solution-for-merchants-from-paypal-and-google-cloudOpenAI: https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2025-10-28-OpenAI-and-PayPal-Team-Up-to-Power-Instant-Checkout-and-Agentic-Commerce-in-ChatGPTAP2: https://developer.paypal.com/community/blog/PayPal-Agent-Payments-Protocol/ and https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/ai-machine-learning/announcing-agents-to-payments-ap2-protocolPayPal’s Agentic Commerce Services: https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2025-10-28-PayPal-Launches-Agentic-Commerce-Services-to-Power-AI-Driven-Shopping👉 Connect with Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeledmonds/👉 Learn more about PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/us/home🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along:📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai 📺 Watch episodes on YouTube & Subscribe for updates: https://www.youtube.com/@Retailgentic

In this episode of the Retailgentic Podcast, Scot talks with Stu Solomon, CEO of HUMAN Security, the company analyzing 20+ trillion digital interactions every week to detect bots, fraud, and now agentic AI behavior. Stu breaks down:Why bots now exceed human trafficThe 1300% growth in agentic activityHow HUMAN identifies good vs. bad botsThe rise of agentic logins, navigation, and even checkoutsWhy spoofing of ChatGPT and Perplexity traffic is explodingWhat retailers need to know about letting AI agents crawl their sitesThe coming world of agent-to-agent commerceIf you’re preparing for the future of retail, ad tech, AI commerce, or online security, this is essential listening.Timestamps02:20 — What HUMAN actually measures (bot vs human vs agentic)03:40 — Stu’s background (military → Amazon → banking → VC → CEO)06:40 — The logistics + retail connection09:00 — How HUMAN works: media + enterprise security11:00 — The digital journey from ad → login → checkout12:11 — HUMAN at 20 trillion interactions/week16:55 — Why HUMAN started publishing agentic data17:50 — 1300% growth in agentic activity18:30 — Machine traffic surpasses human traffic19:40 — The diversification of generative AI traffic20:30 — Agentic login + website navigation behavior24:00 — How HUMAN distinguishes bot vs agent vs human33:00 — The bad side: spoofed ChatGPT & Perplexity traffic38:30 — Retailers blocking bots without realizing it47:00 — The inevitability of agentic adoption48:40 — The future: agent-to-agent transactions49:30 — The end of 2FA hell?👉 Connect with Stu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stu-solomon-733a217/👉 Learn more about HUMAN: https://www.humansecurity.com/🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along:📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai 📺 Watch episodes on YouTube & Subscribe for updates: https://www.youtube.com/@Retailgentic

In this episode of Retailgentic, Scot sits down with one of the most influential product leaders in commerce technology: Nitin Mangtani, SVP & GM of Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Their relationship goes back almost two decades, intersecting at Google, during the rise of online shopping, and now again at the dawn of agentic commerce. Nitin shares his journey from supply chain analytics at i2 Technologies, to building Google’s earliest commerce products, to founding and scaling PredictSpring, and finally leading Salesforce’s reinvention of unified and agentic commerce. This conversation is packed with history, strategy, and forward-looking insights into where AI shopping agents are taking the industry.Timestamps:03:20 – Early career: i2 Technologies & supply chain beginnings10:00 – Joining Google in 200613:30 – Launching Google Commerce Search & Site Search16:40 – Froogle/Google Shopping goes from “fun project” to billion-dollar business18:00 – Comparison engines, feed specs & early retail taxonomy challenges20:15 – Canonicalization and why product data was Google’s first “AI problem”22:40 – Leaving Google to start PredictSpring24:20 – PredictSpring’s original vision: mobile commerce & no-code apps26:05 – Pivoting PredictSpring: TAM realities & shifting to Point of Sale29:00 – Competing with Shopify POS, Square & the white space in enterprise POS31:30 – Startup lessons: pivots, risk, funding & an 11.5-year journey34:45 – Salesforce approaches PredictSpring: acquisition story38:00 – Meeting Marc Benioff & Salesforce’s leadership culture41:00 – Becoming SVP/GM: unifying Commerce Cloud, POS, OMS & Payments44:10 – Agentforce & the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) with OpenAI & Stripe47:10 – Discovery vs checkout: why syndicated checkout is harder49:30 – Messaging commerce: WhatsApp, SMS & conversational transactions51:30 – Full automation: replenishment, grocery & true agentic behavior52:45 – Why commerce is strategically important to SalesforceAgentic commerce isn’t just a channel change, it’s a full-stack rewrite of how discovery, decision-making, and checkout work. Nitin makes clear that the next wave won’t be about small UX improvements, but about systems that think, act, and transact on behalf of consumers and retailers alike. With leaders like Nitin driving Salesforce’s transformation, the future of unified and agentic commerce is arriving faster than expected.👉 Connect with Nitin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitinmangtani/👉 Learn more about Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along:📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai 📺 Watch episodes on YouTube & Subscribe for updates: https://www.youtube.com/@Retailgentic

In this episode of Retailgentic, host Scot Wingo sits down with Johnathan McGowan, co-founder & CEO of PayOS, to discuss how AI agents will handle payments safely and compliantly.From Visa and Mastercard partnerships to the first live Agentic token transaction, Johnathan explains how “day-one-ready” infrastructure will power the future of Agentic Commerce.Timestamps:01:56 — Meet Johnathan McGowan, co-founder of PayOS04:00 — From Visa to PayOS: the founding story06:40 — What Agentic Payments really mean08:10 — Partnering with Visa & Mastercard10:25 — “Day-one-ready” vs new payment rails12:50 — What PayOS actually does15:30 — Agent builders and early use cases18:40 — Understanding “intent” in payments21:50 — Future-proofing across protocols (AP2, ACP, etc.)24:55 — How the first live Agentic transaction worked29:50 — Why PCI compliance & trust matter36:00 — The global scale of Agentic CommerceAs AI agents start making real-world transactions, companies like PayOS are making sure those payments are not just possible, but trusted, secure, and global from day one.👉 Connect with John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnathanm/👉 Learn more about the PayOS: https://www.linkedin.com/company/payos/🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along:📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai 📺 Watch episodes on YouTube & Subscribe for updates: https://www.youtube.com/@Retailgentic

OpenAI’s Chief Economist Ronnie Chatterji joins Scot Wingo on the Retailgentic Podcast to unpack OpenAI's recent National Bureau of Economic Research working paper "How People Use ChatGPT".From asking vs. doing to AI-powered shopping behavior, this deep dive reveals how generative AI is transforming the economy and how soon “agentic” commerce will redefine online retail.This episode is more than a window into OpenAI, it’s a look at the data shaping how humans and agents will interact, shop, and make decisions in the years ahead. If you care about where AI is really headed, this one’s not just worth your time, it’s required listening.Timestamps:02:00 – Meet Ronnie Chatterji, OpenAI’s Chief Economist06:00 – How the ChatGPT usage study began10:30 – What surprised the team most15:00 – Asking vs. Doing: the evolution of agentic behavior19:00 – The viral “colored columns” chart and what it shows22:00 – AI and the future of writing, learning, and work26:00 – How Ronnie bought jeans with ChatGPT28:00 – The 2.1% insight: early AI commerce signals33:00 – Voice + vision = the next leap for agentic shopping38:00 – The global view of AI adoption42:00 – What’s next in OpenAI’s research45:00 – Closing thoughts & how to follow Ronnie👉 Connect with Ronnie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-ronnie-chatterji/👉 Learn more about the paper we discuss: https://openai.com/index/how-people-are-using-chatgpt/🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along:📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai 📺 Watch episodes on YouTube & Subscribe for updates: https://www.youtube.com/@Retailgentic

In this episode of Retailgentic, Salesforce’s Director of Strategy and Consumer Insights Caila Schwartz joins Scot Wingo to break down Salesforce’s 2024 Holiday Forecast, and how AI agents like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini are transforming the path to purchase.They cover:How 21% of global holiday spend will be influenced by AIWhy discovery (not discounts) is this year’s themeWhy Baby Boomers are finally using ChatGPT for shoppingHow Gen Z is bringing the mall back with AI in handThe return of “Discount Chicken” and the Tuesday-after-Cyber-Monday surpriseTimestamps:00:00 – Welcome + Caila intro01:00 – What Salesforce’s Consumer Insights team does04:30 – Agentforce and AI momentum post-Dreamforce07:00 – Holiday forecast: “Discovery” as the 2024 theme08:00 – How Agentic tools are changing product search09:45 – $263B in AI-influenced sales12:00 – Gen Z, Baby Boomers, and agentic adoption15:00 – Q3 data: growth, traffic, and product detail engagement19:30 – LLM referrals vs social media conversions22:00 – ChatGPT Checkout and embedded commerce25:00 – AI in physical stores — 57% of shoppers use agents in-store28:00 – Holiday sales forecast and discount trends33:00 – The rise of “Discount Chicken”38:00 – Loyalty consolidation and the price-sensitive consumer42:00 – Gen Z’s love of in-store experiences47:00 – The future of unified data and physical + digital retail50:00 – Closing thoughts👉 Connect with Manil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caila-schwartz/👉 Learn more about Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along:📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai 📺 Watch episodes on YouTube & Subscribe for updates: https://www.youtube.com/@Retailgentic

In this episode of Retailgentic, Scot Wingo talks with Manil Uppal, Founder & CEO of CartAI, about building the “execution layer” of agentic commerce, where AI agents don’t just recommend products, they buy them. From his early startups acquired by H-E-B and UPS to his vision for CartAI, Manil shares how his team is solving the hardest problem in agentic shopping: completing checkout seamlessly across any retailer.Key Timestamps00:02:00 – Manil’s background: from delivery startups to AI infrastructure00:09:00 – The “aha” moment: from “Where to Buy” to “Go Buy It”00:15:00 – The 3 layers of Agentic Commerce: Catalog, Payments, Checkout00:20:00 – How CartAI executes merchant-native checkouts across platforms00:26:00 – Why retailers need a whitelist for good agents00:33:00 – Handling out-of-stocks, variants, and dynamic pricing00:40:00 – Thoughts on ChatGPT’s new ACP standard00:43:00 – Lessons from early food delivery startups for agentic commerce00:46:00 – The future: vertical AI apps, expert agents, and commerce everywhereAgentic commerce is evolving fast and CartAI is building the rails to make it work.👉 Connect with Manil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maniluppal/👉 Learn more about CartAI: https://www.cartai.ai👉 Explore their substack: https://substack.com/@cartai🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along:📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai 📺 Watch episodes on YouTube & Subscribe for updates: https://www.youtube.com/@Retailgentic

In this special Retailgentic episode, guest host Kiri Masters turns the tables on our regular host, Scot Wingo (CEO, ReFiBuy). They unpack the next big retail revolution, Agentic Commerce, and what it means for shoppers, retailers, and brands as AI shopping agents like ChatGPT and Perplexity redefine discovery, loyalty, and checkout.Scot shares the lessons behind ChannelAdvisor, Spiffy, and now ReFiBuy, plus why messy product catalogs, ad overload, and loyalty programs will determine who wins in the AI marketplace era.⏱️ Key Timestamps00:00 – Intro: Kiri turns the tables02:15 – Scot’s early career & first startup07:50 – Building ChannelAdvisor14:30 – Lessons from going public20:05 – Spiffy and the services economy26:40 – Discovering AI → the spark for ReFiBuy33:00 – What is Agentic Commerce?38:20 – ChatGPT & Perplexity in the marketplace race45:00 – The product catalog problem explained51:00 – How ReFiBuy solves it with AI55:20 – Retailers’ edge: loyalty, data, customer experience59:00 – The next phase: marketplaces 2.01:02:00 – Close: The future of AI shopping👉 Connect with Scot: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thescotwingo/👉 Learn more about ReFiBuy: refibuy.ai🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along:📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai 📺 Watch episodes on YouTube & Subscribe for updates: https://youtu.be/4xI9qXNU_R0

In this episode of the Retailgentic Podcast, Scot Wingo sits down with Jason Nyus, General Manager of North America at Shopware, a leading open-source e-commerce platform. Jason brings over 25 years of experience (20+ at Digital River) to unpack where e-commerce is heading, why Shopware is betting big on agentic commerce, and how the Agentic Commerce Alliance could shape the industry’s future.Timestamps:02:00 – Jason’s 25-year journey in e-commerce, from Digital River to Shopware06:00 – The early days of app stores: Nokia, Blackberry, Microsoft09:45 – Why Digital River pivoted and what commoditization taught him13:00 – Why Shopware sees opportunity in mid-market and complex use cases20:30 – Shopware’s scale: $23B processing volume, top 6 global commerce platform26:00 – Introducing the Agentic Commerce Alliance: vision, openness, and independence36:00 – Use cases for agentic commerce: competitive pricing, loyalty, and customer service42:00 – Risks and opportunities for Shopify, Google, and Amazon in the agentic era46:00 – Jason’s predictions: a billion-dollar brand without a website, 25% of e-commerce becoming agentic by 2030Jason makes it clear: the future of commerce won’t be decided by one platform. Shopware’s vision of an open, agent-friendly ecosystem is a bold alternative to a closed, platform-controlled future. The Agentic Commerce Alliance could become one of the most important initiatives shaping AI-driven retail.👉 Connect with Jason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonnyhus/👉 Learn more about Shopware’s vision: shopware.com👉 Explore the Agentic Commerce Alliance: agentic-commerce.org🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along:📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai 📺 Watch episodes on YouTube & Subscribe for updates: https://youtu.be/4xI9qXNU_R0

On this special Retailgentic episode, we sit down with Jordi Montes, CEO & co-founder of SimpleCheckout.ai, who officially launched today. Jordi shares his journey from Bitcoin’s Lightning Network to building a unified checkout and payment framework for AI agents. We dive into why agentic payments matter, what SimpleCheckout solves, and how it could reshape the future of online retail.Timestamps:00:01:55 – Jordi’s background: from TravelPerk to Lightning Network00:05:30 – The “sci-fi moment” that inspired SimpleCheckout00:12:00 – Why payments must evolve beyond the browser00:18:00 – Mapping agentic commerce to the travel industry model00:23:00 – Competing visions: SimpleCheckout vs. PayOS vs. Nacuda00:31:00 – The role of personalization in agentic commerce00:39:45 – Why SimpleCheckout is payment- and merchant-agnostic00:43:30 – Looking ahead: the future of agent-to-agent paymentsSimpleCheckout’s launch marks a turning point in how AI agents will transact. As agentic commerce takes hold, Jordi’s vision of a universal, flexible checkout protocol could define the rails of the next decade.Checkout their substack announcement: https://simplecheckout.substack.com/p/agentic-commerce-made-simple🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along:📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai📺 Watch episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@retailgentic🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple, etc.

In this episode of the Retailgentic Podcast, Scot Wingo sits down with Melissa Minkow, Global Director of Retail Strategies & Insights at CI&T. Melissa shares her perspective on consumer behavior, why ingrained shopping habits stick, and how agentic commerce will shape the future of retail.We cover:- Why consumer habits are so hard to change, even in grocery shopping- Exclusive sneak peek: fresh survey data showing 75% of consumers now use AI in their path to purchase- How agentic commerce could transform loyalty, pricing, and even group buying- Lessons from Target Canada and why back-office AI matters more than flashy consumer tools- Why TikTok might be the blueprint for agentic retail experiencesRetail is changing fast and the agentic future is already here. Subscribe for more conversations, insights, and data shaping the next chapter of commerce.Timestamps:00:00 – Consumers are routinized: why habits stick01:08 – Introducing the Retailgenic Podcast02:15 – Guest intro: Melissa Minco of CI&T04:06 – Melissa’s background: from Anthropologie to Target to CI&T08:52 – Target Canada lessons & retail systems breakdown12:00 – Apps vs. consumers: adoption, trust, and pushback15:00 – Agentic commerce: inside vs. outside view19:00 – Will consumers build their own shopping agents?23:00 – Exclusive data: 75% of consumers now use AI in their path to purchase28:00 – Sponsored GEO and consumer trust33:00 – Agent strategies: retailer, consumer, and third-party36:00 – Best practices: getting your “back office” right first40:00 – Checkouts, marketplaces, and the future of digital retail46:00 – Loyalty in the agentic era: Gen Z, UK vs. US, and discounts50:00 – Group buying, negotiation, and dynamic pricing56:00 – Reading the tea leaves: websites, zero-click, and consumer control01:00:00 – Melissa’s “personal agents” vision of the future01:05:00 – TikTok as a model for agentic commerce01:08:00 – Wrap-up & closing thoughtsReport drops at CI&T website soon: https://ciandt.com/us/en-us🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along:📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai📺 Watch episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@retailgentic🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple, etc.

Dr. Amine Allouah completed his PhD at Columbia Business School, specializing in algorithmic game theory and optimization in multi-agent systems. After leading applied science work at Meta across ads, notifications, and marketplace teams, he co-founded My Custom AI to help enterprises deploy tailored AI solutions. His work bridges deep theory with practical applications, shaping how businesses think about LLMs, agents, and the economics of AI.This week on Retailgentic, we’re joined by Dr. Amine, co-founder of My Custom AI and one of the sharpest minds at the intersection of AI, economics, and retail. In this conversation, we dig deep into:Amine’s journey: École Polytechnique → Columbia → Meta → entrepreneurshipWhat algorithmic game theory means for real-world AI systemsWhy enterprises need custom models for accuracy, privacy, and cost savingsThe ACES Framework: how agents really “shop” onlineSurprising findings: agents ignore ads, but positioning still mattersWhy MCP isn’t enough, and what’s next for protocolsImplications for retailers, brands, and the future of retail mediaIf you’ve ever wondered how agents will reshape retail and what brands need to do right now to prepare, this episode will give you a front-row seat to the future of agentic commerce.Highlights/Timestamps ⏱️0:00 – How agents drive omnichannel growth beyond e-commerce5:00 – Meet guest Amine Allouah: from École Polytechnique to Columbia PhD9:30 – Game theory, algorithm design, and AI: lessons from his PhD13:45 – From Meta AI researcher to startup founder: the origin of My Custom AI18:10 – What My Custom AI does: feasibility studies, custom model training & workshops23:25 – Why retailers sometimes need their own LLMs: accuracy, privacy & cost savings29:20 – Beyond LLaMA: multimodal models, recommendation systems, and custom architectures34:05 – The ACES Framework: building a sandbox to study agent shopping39:16 – Optimizations around pricing, loyalty & group buying39:24 – Why group buying startups have struggled39:35 – Aligning buyer and seller agents for better outcomes44:15 – Agent behavior insights: Claude and the “ergonomic” keyword example48:50 – The case for seller-side agents and real-time PDP updates51:31 – Amazon is the first company to adopt the ACES framework55:00 – Retail media networks in an agent world: real-time “agentic ads”58:00 – Will websites die? The future of browsing, checkouts & merchant centers1:01:00 – Closing thoughts + where to find Amine & the ACES paper🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along:📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai📺 Watch episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@retailgentic🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple, etc.

In this episode of Retailgentic, Deloitte’s Chief Futurist Kasey Lobaugh joins us to explore the future of agentic commerce. Kasey has spent nearly three decades advising global retailers, brands, and manufacturers. He launched Deloitte Digital, now a multibillion-dollar business, and today leads Deloitte’s Future of the Consumer Industry platform. Known for coining the “great bifurcation” of consumers, Kasey helps executives anticipate disruptive forces and chart strategy amid seismic change.Scot and Kasey unpack the forces reshaping commerce and the role of AI:Six forces shaping the consumer industryThe great bifurcation of value vs. convenience shoppersRise of predictive enterprisesFragmentation and shifting demographicsAgentic AI and digital services growthDeclining Google traffic and new discovery modelsWhy “hopping the cost curve” may be essentialHighlights00:02:00 – Meet Kasey Lobaugh, Deloitte’s Chief Futurist for the consumer industry00:05:00 – The six forces shaping the future: consumer, culture, tech, industry, climate, and politics00:10:30 – Why growth feels constrained: demographics, barriers to entry, and shifting spend00:15:00 – The new bifurcation: asset owners vs. providers of labor00:20:00 – From mass retail to hyper-relevance powered by AI00:23:00 – The predictive enterprise: moving beyond insights to compute-led foresight00:25:30 – Surprising predictive attributes: why buying a cat can forecast retail behavior00:29:30 – Women and wealth: a dramatic shift by 203000:34:00 – The decline of search and rise of GenAI discovery00:40:00 – Retailers in the age of ChatGPT checkout00:46:00 – AI isn’t blockchain or VR: why adoption curves look different00:50:00 – Creativity unlocked: from AI-generated music to new consumer products00:54:00 – Hopping cost curves: why efficiency alone won’t win the AI era00:57:00 – Closing thoughts: racing to abundance, not the bottom🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along:📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai📺 Watch episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@retailgentic🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple, etc.

What happens when the marketing funnel collapses and AI takes over discovery? Scot Wingo talks with Andrea Leigh, Amazon veteran and CEO of Allume Group, about the latest Allume Insider Report (AIR).We cover:• How ~60% of shoppers now use AI for product research• “Value” as price and purpose (Gen Z, resale, circular)• Social commerce’s rise and the blur between entertainment & shopping• Why D2C sites are crucial for AI readability• The shaky future of retail media networks and SEOAndrea pulls back the curtain on how AI, value, and entertainment are rewriting the rules of commerce. This conversation is a roadmap for brands preparing for the collapse of search and the rise of agentic shopping.⏱️ Time Stamps01:41 – Guest intro: Andrea Leigh, Amazon alum & CEO of Allume Group.03:18 – Andrea’s Amazon career and path to founding Allume Group.06:14 – Amazon negotiations today: bots, automation, and leverage.06:59 – Tariffs: who pays and why consumers often shoulder it.08:01 – The origins of the Allume Insider Report (AIR).11:10 – Three trends shaping commerce: AI help, value, and fun.12:02 – 60% of shoppers already use AI for product discovery.15:16 – Gen Z starts searches on TikTok, not Amazon.19:29 – ChatGPT Checkout: affiliate or true marketplace?26:11 – Value redefined: bargain-hunting, private label, and resale on the rise.31:12 – Social commerce explodes: TikTok Shops headed for $17B.32:47 – “Amazon solved buying but killed shopping.”40:05 – D2C sites as AI-readable “source of truth.”46:22 – Retail media and SEO industries under pressure from AI.53:20 – Amazon’s Rufus and the fight to compete with LLMs.52:55 – Closing thoughts + download the free AIR report.🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along: 📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai📺 Watch episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@retailgentic🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple, etc.

What happens when more than half of online shopping traffic comes from AI agents, not humans?In this episode of the Retailgentic Podcast, Scot Wingo sits down with Alex Rampell, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, to unpack the seismic shift happening at the intersection of AI, commerce, and payments.We cover:Is Google really screwed? (and why AI threatens its business model)The future of agentic commerce & attribution warsLessons from TrialPay, Affirm, and affiliate marketingHow platforms like ChatGPT could become checkout destinationsWhy “optimization” may be the killer feature of AI shopping agentsIf you’re in e-commerce, retail, fintech, or just want to know how AI will change the way we buy and sell, this is a must-listen.⏱️ Time Stamps04:45 – Alex’s early days: shareware & credit card processing06:26 – TrialPay, affiliates & the Netflix-for-shareware idea08:45 – Founding Affirm & moving into venture at a16z09:55 – The “apps practice” and where value accrues (infra vs. apps)10:57 – “Is Google Screwed?” background & themes13:02 – Commerce attribution & affiliate marketing evolution15:04 – Impulse vs. highly considered purchases in AI era18:27 – Optimization: why AI wins on time vs. money tradeoff21:00 – Reviews, shill content, and trust problems23:50 – Hosted checkout: could ChatGPT become a marketplace?26:14 – Will Apple jump into AI commerce?28:35 – Coupon codes, group buying, and negotiation by agents30:04 – How commerce could be “rewired” by AI platforms31:25 – Closing thoughts & what’s next🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along:📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai📺 Watch episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@retailgentic🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple, etc.

What happens when consumers start trusting AI agents more than friends for shopping advice? On this episode of Retailgentic, we welcome Professor Luca Cian from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.Luca brings a unique perspective as a psychologist turned marketing scholar whose research spans visual persuasion, AI adoption, and consumer trust. We dive deep into how shoppers perceive AI in utilitarian vs. hedonic purchases, why trust in AI depends on “augmented decision-making,” and how brands should prepare for an AI-first retail future.From the paradox of choice to the emerging world of “GenAI Engine Optimization (GEO),” this conversation is packed with insights on how AI is rewriting the rules of marketing, loyalty, and consumer psychology.Tune in for:The psychology of trust in AI: why we accept AI for practical tasks but resist it in creative/hedonic domainsThe paradox of choice and how AI alleviates decision fatigueHow brands can adapt to the rise of agentic commerce and GEO (GenAI Engine Optimization)Future of loyalty programs when shopping decisions are mediated by AI agents🕒 Timestamps:00:02:05 — Guest intro: Luca Cion, UVA Darden professor, studies consumer psychology and AI in marketing.00:09:36 — Early AI research with GPT-3 preview; skepticism then rapid shift in perception.00:17:12 — Survey: 60% trust AI purchase suggestions more than friends → ties to “paradox of choice.”00:21:01 — Word-of-Machine Effect: AI trusted for utilitarian products, humans preferred for hedonic ones.00:28:53 — Trust grows when AI is augmented by humans and shows transparency (black box effect reduced).00:36:11 — AI Mistake Generalization: consumers forgive humans but not AI; one AI error erodes trust broadly.00:46:06 — Loyalty as a decision shortcut; in the AI age, human touch and anthropomorphism become vital.00:50:40 — People blame AI less than humans for unfair treatment (e.g., firing decisions).00:53:32 — Executive MBA discussions: AI displacing middle management but creating future opportunities.00:58:00 — Managers should lead with human strategic vision, then use AI/data to validate decisions.🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along: 📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai📺 Watch episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@retailgentic🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple, etc.

Kiri Masters, founder of Bobsled Marketing and Retail Media Breakfast Club, joins the Retailgentic Podcast to unpack the future of retail media. We cover the economic drivers of onsite and offsite ads, why loyalty programs could be a hidden moat in the age of AI, and how agentic shopping may challenge even the biggest players.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro & Welcome01:30 – Kiri’s path from banking to launching Bobsled Marketing06:40 – Selling the agency and life after acquisition11:05 – The launch of Retail Media Breakfast Club14:20 – Economic foundations of retail media (onsite, offsite, trade)20:55 – The threat of agentic shopping to retail media networks28:15 – Walmart vs. Amazon: Two strategies for AI agents34:00 – Loyalty programs as a competitive advantage38:45 – The future of retail media in an AI-driven world43:20 – Where to find Kiri Masters & Retail Media Breakfast Club🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along: 📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai📺 Watch episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@retailgentic🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple, etc.

In this episode of the Retailgentic podcast, we sit down with Karl Haller, Partner at IBM Consulting and leader of their Consumer Industry Center of Competency. Karl brings deep insight into the retail, CPG, and fashion sectors, sharing how AI is reshaping enterprise operations, from store-level automation to the rise of agentic shopping and AI-native brands.We explore:How IBM uses AI internally to save billionsThe future of AI-native startups with 5x leaner orgsWhat retailers need to know about agent-based shoppingHow personalization and dynamic pricing could transform the consumer experience📍 Timestamps:00:00 – Intro & Karl’s background01:10 – IBM's early AI work and internal cost savings05:00 – AI’s shift from hype to workflow transformation07:15 – Retail use cases: contact centers, operations, and automation10:55 – The agentic shopping shift: consumers vs. retailers16:00 – Why gift-giving may tip agentic shopping into the mainstream18:30 – ChatGPT’s hosted checkout and new marketplace dynamics22:00 – The rise of AI-native brands and single-person unicorns30:00 – Store-level orchestration and event-triggered workflows36:00 – Personalization in stores—like having Anna Wintour’s whisperer39:00 – Dynamic pricing and loyalty-based personalization44:00 – Final thoughts: the slow shift until the tipping point hits🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along: 📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai📺 Watch episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@retailgentic🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple, etc.

Amazon is quietly building the future of grocery and retail logistics and former Amazon exec Brittain Ladd is here to break it all down.In this exclusive conversation, Brittain reveals never-before-shared insights into Amazon's local vending machines (LVMs), robot-powered Rivian vans, and the AI-driven strategy to dethrone Walmart in grocery. He also discusses Amazon's ambitions in third-party logistics and why they might one day buy the USPS.Whether you're into e-commerce, logistics, or the future of automation, this is an episode you don't want to miss.Timestamps:0:00 – Intro & Brittain Ladd background2:00 – Instacart talent exodus and Walmart's poaching3:00 – Amazon’s $4B rural delivery investment4:45 – Amazon’s grocery strategy gap vs. Walmart6:30 – Micro-fulfillment & why Amazon is still behind8:00 – Whole Foods as a broken link in Amazon’s chain10:00 – Local Vending Machines (LVMs): Amazon's secret weapon13:00 – Robotized Rivian delivery vans explained16:30 – Printer cartridge model for replenishing vans18:30 – AI-powered inventory prediction by ZIP code21:00 – Amazon’s long-term vision to beat Walmart23:00 – Humanoid robots & autonomous delivery26:00 – Amazon as the next FedEx/UPS29:00 – Will Amazon buy the USPS?🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along: 📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai📺 Watch episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@retailgentic🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple, etc.